In our Behind the Lens series, we’re connecting with our favorite photographers around the globe and in our community. What we do as photographers is capturing experiences and sharing them with the world, so we wanted to provide a platform for others in our field to share a little bit about their process, experiences, and themselves.

In our newest post in the series, get to know the person behind our new collab pack, Stephanie of From The Daisies! Stephanie has a very distinct approach to her photography. Each image she takes contains a whole story, and she connects with each and every person she shoots to capture an authentic moment. In her words, she’s inspired by old Playboys, 90’s movies, old ads, even something as simple as how she cuddles her husband at home. Her work is deeply rooted in nostalgia and focused on feeling – and her preset pack captures just that.

Like Stephanie’s work, these presets are grounded in the belief that the best things in life are unplanned, imperfect, and culled by instinct. From The Daisies Presets consists of 7 color presets built into profiles, 2 BW presets, and 5 Tools in a range of color palettes – including warm highlights, toned-down pinks, muted seaglass green, and blues that echo summer twilights. Perfect for low-light, daytime, and high-flash shoots, these presets are designed to make their subjects shine.

We had lots to ask Stephanie about her approach to photography, her editing style, her life outside photography, and more. Here’s what she had to say:

Where did your photography journey start?

I grew up in central Illinois (Chillicothe, and if you’ve heard of it, it’s probably because you went to Summercamp). I grew up in the country surrounded by nothing but open space and corn fields. It was heaven and I’m thankful my young self appreciated it then. I have the midwest to thank for the start of my photography. It was quiet, peaceful, and such a bliss. I didn’t have a lot of distractions. It allowed me to see things closer and take them in.

I went to college at Illinois State University. I got my Bachelor’s in Biology. I loved every minute of it. I’m still so passionate about science, but it doesn’t fulfill me quite like photography has. When grad school didn’t work out I felt it was for a reason. If it did, who knows where I would be… in a lab somewhere doing research (which still sounds so fun) but it isn’t.

What’s your favorite thing to photograph?

I love posing. I love candid. I love everything in between.

Photography has brought me such an appreciation for human connection. When I edit, I think to myself “wow, what an honor it is to have been able to hold onto these moments for them.” I appreciate the mundane. The simple. The everyday. I also find such beauty in chaos. The busy. And the unique. It depends on who I’m working with that determines how I shoot. No couple is the same.

When it comes to my work, I love weird. I love incorporating things into photos that don’t belong. I’m inspired by old Playboys, 90’s movies, old ads, even something as simple as how I cuddle Nick at home. Nostalgia is where I resonate the most. I want my photos to be about the connection, the vibes, how they make you feel. I love dirty scenes. One bride and groom I dragged into a bathroom stall because the light felt right to me. They got handsy. It was messy. It was their favorite photos from the whole day.

How would you define your photography style?

I like to think of my photography as natural moments captured in an artful way. Art rules aren’t really rules. We can do whatever we want and my photos reflect that. It’s a nice balance between experimenting and traditional. This is a collaboration between us. You’re embracing my take on creating truly artful imagery and I’m embracing everything you are as people to help me see the vision.

You know that feeling, when someone new seems like an old friend? Like you met them in a dream – or perhaps in a past life? My job is to make sure you feel that when we shoot.

Do you have advice for photographers who are just starting out?

Practice, practice, practice. Don’t expect your camera to do all the work. Really get to know your equipment and how to use it in all settings and environments so you’re prepared for anything. Shoot everything. All kinds of people, all kinds of locations, anything that is the least bit inspiring to you. This will help you establish your brand early on. When you have a strong solidified brand people know what to expect and you’re more likely to get paying clients.

How else do you fill your time, other than photography?

I’m one happy married momma. I met my husband in college at Illinois State University. We immediately hit it off from our first conversation together. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found my person so early on in life. We have an immense amount of memories together already. We’ve traveled the world, experienced our own selves changing and growing, and created our favorite love stories of all, our children.

We have our beautiful daughter, Stevie Bea and our incredible son, Saint August. We’ve lived in Boulder, Tempe, NYC, and Santa Monica. But we knew Boulder was home. As soon as we had Stevie, we packed up our crazy lifestyle and created our homestead back in Colorado.

They’re my world. Any time spent with them is magic.

How did you develop your editing style? What elements were important to you?

I’m a very nostalgic person. My childhood was such a gift. I grew up in the country and it was so peaceful. It was quiet. I don’t remember ever being on the computer or having really any distractions. I was always outside. When I reflect on my past, many of my fondest memories are from growing up. From high school. Those first adolescent loves with friends and boyfriends. That feeling of trying to fit in, to then discovering who you really are. So when it comes to editing I love those muted tones, the grain, the soft contrast because when I think of old photos, that’s what I think of.

How do you approach your photography sessions?

I don’t shoot the same at all in every session, it totally depends. I like to shoot in blue hour a lot, so my photos are often underexposed but my camera is really good in low light so I don’t lose a whole bunch of details. I also like to shoot with flash, for harsher white tones, and I like to shoot with color a lot.

I edit on the cool side, my Kelvin is pretty low. I don’t really love those orangey tones. I shoot in Kelvin, if I’m not shooting with flash. If I’m shooting in flash, I set it to auto. I don’t know why people have the stigma that if you shoot in auto you’re not as talented as if you shoot in manual – it’s just silly. I do both! I like to shoot in auto when I’m doing really low light or flash because it’s easier for the camera to focus on the subject and the light is going to be super consistent for coloring. I shoot in Kelvin during the day because it gives me more control over the warmth if I want to bump it down.

What did the process of creating your preset pack look like?

I really started to hone in on my style in 2019 and since then I haven’t touched my presets. So fast forward to now, I felt really confident in selling something that was true to my brand and me. I didn’t want to sell a preset because it had my name on it. It had to be more than that. I had to be sure it was who my brand was.

A big inspiration for me is film and nostalgia, and I feel like that’s where these presets came from. If you’re familiar with my work, you know that I like to shoot some funkier things and different concepts, but also I am a wedding photographer so when I deliver my photos, they also have to be timeless. When I go edit, they can’t be overly grainy, or not true to color. My first and second presets are my go-tos when it comes to weddings because it still has that From The Daisies feel with that film and nostalgia vibe, but it’s also something that my client is going to be able to enjoy down the road because it doesn’t play to a certain trend or color.

Which preset do you use the most?

I don’t just use one preset, I switch depending on what I want the session to look like. I think they’re so versatile and I use them on so many different things.

I think I use the first preset in the pack the most. It’s very true to color when it comes to skin tones but it also mutes it so it’s not as vibrant. I like the cool tones – because I tend to lean more towards that filmy look and to me, warmth and film don’t go together.

My second preset has a little bit of warmth to it, while still bringing out those blues and greens. The third preset has more of those green and blue tones. It emphasizes the color but again, keeps it muted and not so vibrant, while still having that filmy grainy look.

Photography by Stephanie Fisher